MD Piney

I recently inherited a Savage 250-3000 rifle and was wondering what sort of game it is focused toward? Is it a varmint gun? Any information/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

neweboarhunter

The .250-3000 is generally considered a "dual purpose" cartridge meaning deer and varmints. It will do whatever a .243 will, but with a heavier and bigger diameter bullet. It is a classic round that should not have been dropped by the manufacturers.

charlie brown

The .250 Savage is good for deer and antelope to modest ranges, maybe 250 yards or so. It will handle them with ease. Only thing is the case capacity is limited, so keep bullet weights to under 115 grains to allow for plenty of space for powder. When using the lighter bullets for deer, make sure they are of good quality, such as the partitions, grand slams, etc. For varmints, anything in the 85 grain class will work fine. A good round and have fun!

pharaoh2

The .250 Savage has been used to take just about every critter that walks on this side of the planet. It was also the first commercial sporting cartridge to break that magical 3000 fps mark. You will do best using this rifle, which I assume is a Savage 99 lever action, on deer and similar game. If your gun is a 99, what model is it? Does it have a clip? is it a take-down? Or does it have that cool magazine counter in the side?

Wolf killer

The 250-3000 shoots a 25-caliber bullet, 3,000-fps. The case of the 250-3000 is the parent case for the 22-250.
The 250-3000 is a great deer rifle. If you have a Model 99 Savage you have a real collectors item.

MD Piney

Thanks for taking time to share information on the 250-3000. I grew up using shotguns so when I first heard the caliber I thought it was a little odd and left it at that. After a little more research I've discovered that this weapon was used by my wife's Grandfather while hunting deer in Pennsylvania. In regards to some of the questions posted it is a lever action with the magazine under the slide which is another first for me. It appears the only way to load the magazine is to retract the slide and insert the rounds. Opposite the slide on the left side of the rifle there appears to be a counter for the number of rounds. I can't find any marking identifying it as a Savage 99, but Model 1899 is engraved in the barrel. I'll assume it is a Savage 99, Model 1899 until I can find additional information.

Again, thanks for the posts. This rifle is something I want to pass on to my daughter as a symbol of her family heritage so the more I know the better we all can appreciated it.

MD Piney

MD Piney

Found a website (www.savage99.com) that might have cleared things up for me a bit. Appears Savage built a model 1895, 1899 and 99. The markings on this rifle indicate it as an 1899. Also found out that the rifle was supposedly built in either 1918 or 1919 (per the serial number). Weapon appears stout, but I imagine it might be a good thing to have it checked out before use.

Thanks again for the guidance... MD Piney

eldeguello

There are also two different rifling twists in 250-3000 Savages, one is 1/12", and the other is 1/10". IF your rifle is a 1/12", it is more limited in the weights of bullets it will handle well. I don't think the 1/12" barrels will handle pointed bullets of much over 100 grains with accuracy, while the 1/10" barrels will handle most all .257" diameter bullets well.

The .250-3000, (or ".250 Savage") was designed by Charles Newton in the early days of the 20th Century, and was almost 50 years ahead of its time, since the best powders for it didn't come along until after WWII!

All in all, it is a great round, and the AI version is probably the best of all .25 caliber cartridges!

pharaoh2

You've got yourself a great little gun there. I personally think the 99's with the rotary magazine with the counter are the coolest thing since sliced bread. Take that gun out, shoot some paper, than go bag yourself a deer, thinking about the legacy your holding in your hands. There's nothing more rewarding than the privilage of carrying a rifle with a history. Imagine for a minute, just where has this rifle been carried, and what things has it done? How many deer and moose has it killed? How proud are you now?

loner

the gun you have is also worth quite a bit of cash.